Apparatus for manufacturing articles from pulp materials.



No. 656,742. Patented Aug. 28, I900 J M. LEAVER.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTICLES FROM PULP MATERIALS.

(Application filed Nov. 8, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 SheataSheet I.

I I ifimzeal/lll/eal/ez; hv'm witwaoow Patented Aug. 28, I900. J. M.LEAVER.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTICLES FROM PULP MATERIALS.

(Application filed Nov. 8, 1899.)

3 Shoata$heet 2,

(No Model.)

atto'cw Jamesjl Leaver,

q v gmeoow No. 656,742. Patented Aug. 28, I900. J. m. LEAYER.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTICLES FROM PULP MATERIALS.

(Application filed Nov. 8, 1899.)

(No Model.) 7 3 $heats-Sheet 3..

/ a 137 as "rm: Nomus PETERS co. Mmmjxmo" WASNWGTOK u. c.

nii'rie'nffmres PAT T Fries.

JAMES MARSHALL LEAVER, OF BAY MILLS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO LEWIS A. HALLAND ROBERT H. MUNSON, OF SAME PLACE. v

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTICLES FROM PULP MATERIALS.

srncrrrcarrron formingpart of Letters latent No. esenea'datei August 28,1900. Application filedNovembcr 8, 1899. Serial No. 736,277. (No model.)

To all whom L'tmay concern.- partly in section, of a pulp doorillustrative Be itknown that I, JAMES MARSHALL LEA- of one form ofarticle that can be manufac- VER, a citizen of the United States,residing tured bythe apparatus. Fig. Sis aplan View at BayMills, in thecounty of Chippewa and of the form of core which is usually employed 5State of Michigan, have invented a new and in constructing a door from'pulp materials useful ApparatusforManufacturingArticles such asshown inFig. 7. Fig. 9 is a crossfrom Pulp Materials, of which the followingsectional view on the line 9 9 of Fig. '7. is a specification. Likenumerals of reference designate cor- Ilhis invention relates to themanufacture responding partsin'the several figures of the to of articlesfrom pulp materials, and has spedrawings.

cial reference to an apparatus designed for the In manufacturingarticles from pulp mamanufacture of doors, shutters, sash, blinds,terials by the apparatus claimed herein there window-frames,door-frames, furniture, inteis used in every instance a'core of some derior finish for houses, and other products or scription, which may be ofany suitable ma [5 articles of a like nature. terial, but preferably ofwood, on account To this end the invention primarily conof the'strongadhesive contact that may be templates a novel construction of apparatussecured between the same and the pulp mahaving means for manufacturingin a cheap teriai. Inasmuch as the articles made by the and practicalmanner articles which are ordiapparatus have asuitable core to form abase 2o narilyconstructed entirely of wood orofpulp, or binder for thepulp material, the operaand has specially in view the production of tionof the apparatus will be fullyundersubstantially-solid articles orproducts from stood by describing the same for illustrative pulpmaterials which have heretofore been of purposes in connection with theformation of a laminated formation. a door from pulp materials, and inthe con- 25 lVith these and other objects in view the struction of anarticle of this character the invention consists in the novelconstruction, core 1 is of the same general configuration ascombination, and arrangement of parts herethe door, being of arectangular form, as inafter more fully described, illustrated, andshown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The said claimed. rectangular core 1,though it may be of metal 86 3o The essential features of the apparatusor or other suitable material, is'pr'eferably conmachine are necessarilysusceptible to modistruct'ed of wood, for the reasons explained,fication without departing from the spirit or and is made in the form ofa skeleton-framescope thereof; but the preferred embodiment work.Although in some forms of articles of the improvements forming thesubjectmade from pulp materials and manufactured 35 matter of thepresent application is shown in by the machine the core may be solid orholthe accompanying drawings, in which low or even imperforate, still inthe con- Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus emstruction of a dooror analogous article with bodying the improvements contemplated by apanel or panels it is necessary to provide the present invention. Fig.2is an end view the skeleton core 1 with panel-openings 2, 90

40 thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional which conform in size,shape, and disposition view onthe line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showing the to thepanel or panels of the completed arcore of the article centered in theworking ticle, and as these panel-openings entirely space between theplatens without the pulp pierce the core the same are completelyfilledmaterials being applied thereto. Fig. 4 is a by the pulp materials 3,which are molded 45 similar sectional view on the line 4. 4 of Fig. andpressed upon the core in a manner to be 1, showing the arrangement ofthe piping for presently explained. By referring particueach of themovable platens. Fig. 5 is a larly to Fig. 9 of the drawings it will beob cross-sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. served that the pulpmaterial forming the Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail plan view of one partnumbered 3 of the door or like structoo 50 end portion of the mold,showing the end ture by beingpressed upon the core from door swung open.Fig. 7 is a plan view, both sides thereof not only covers "the sidefaces of the core, but the panel portions of the pulp materialcompletely fill the panel opening or openings of the core and produce asolid homogeneous mass of material in said opening or openings, thusproducing a practically solid structure having exceptional strength anddurability.

Having explained the general nature of the pulp articles that can bemanufactured through the medium of the apparatus, a description of thelatter will now be given.

The said apparatus includes a mold-box 4, which is preferably of a shapeconforming to the outlines of' the article to be manufactured therein;but ordinarily the said moldbox is of a rectangular shape, andessentially consists of a bottom or base 5 and the side and end walls 6and 7, respectively, arising from the said bottom or base 5. The sideand end walls 6 and 7 of the mold-box are rigidly joined together attheir contiguous edges by the corner-posts 8, which are fas tened to theside and end walls by bolts or other suitable fastenings to formtherein, in connection with the bottom or base 5, a substantially-tightbox structure, which is designed to receive therein not only the pulpmaterial and the core of the article, but also the instrumentalitieswhich provide for mold ing, pressing, and baking the article, so thatwhen the same is removed from the box it is in a practically-finishedcondition.

The mold-box 4, as already explained, may be of any suitable shape,though the same is preferably of a rectangular form and open at the topto permit of the escape of heat, vapor,

and any waste product which may result from the baking of the pulpmaterial within the top portion of the box; but in carrying out theinvention the end walls 7 of the mold-box are preferably constructedwith access-openings 9, which are adapted to be covered and uncovered byswinging end doors 10. Each end door 10 when swung into the opening withwhich it is associated entirely closes that end of the mold-box. Toprovide for the swinging support of the end doors, each of the same isprovided near one edge and at the upper and lower corners thereof withpintle-studs 11, journaled in suitable bearings 12, formed in the upperand lower sills of the end walls, and at its free unpivoted edge eachdoor is provided with a plurality of offstanding bifurcated lugs 13,adapted to be engaged and disengaged by the swing-bolts 14, fitted toand carried by a rock-shaft 15, journaled in suitable bearings at oneedge of the accessopening 9. When one of the end doors 10 is closed, itis simply necessary to move the adjacent swing-bolts 14 into engagementwith thelugs 13 thereof and to tighten said bolts to provide forsecurely fastening the door in its closed position. A loosening of thebolts and the swinging of the same away from the adjacent edge of thedoor will permit of the ready opening thereof to provide for either theinsertion of the core of the article or the removal of the completedarticle. It will be observed by reason of this construction of themold-box with swinging end doors fitted to the opposite end wallsthereof simple and efficient means are provided whereby ready access maybe had to the interior working space of the mold-box through the endsthereof, thus greatly facilitating the handling of the core and theremoval of the completed article.

The open-top mold-box constructed as described is of a sufficient sizeto receive therein a pair of movable platens 16. These platens conformto theinteriorshape of the moldbox, the same extending the full lengththereof from end to end and being of awidthsubstantially equaling thedepth of the box. The said platens are arranged in parallelism to formtherebetween a working space 17, and each of the same is of a hollowformation, be-

ing provided therein witha plurality of sepawithin the Working space 17of the mold-box.

Each of the several heating-chambers of each platen 16 has a separateand independent flexible-pipe connection 23 with a common supplypipe 24for the heating agent, which may be steam, hot air, or hot Water, as maybe found the most suitable for the purpose, according to the nature andcomposition of the pulp material that may be used in the construction ofthe article, and each of the flexible-pipe connections, which may beproperly termed distributing-pipes, for the heating agent is fitted witha controlling-valve 25, which provides means whereby eachheating-chamber of the platen may have the heating agent suppliedthereto or cut off therefrom independently of the remaining chambers. Inaddition to the individual supply-pipe connections for the severalheating-chambers of each platen such chambers have also connectedtherewith, preferably at the ends thereof, separate and independentflexible draimpipe connections 26, leading to the main drain-pipes 27,arranged exterior to the mold-box and providing, in connection with theflexible pipes 26, means for draining off from the chambers of theplatens such condensed products or waste material as may result from theheating step.

The movable platens 16 in addition to the heating chambers thereof areeach preferably provided at their ends contiguous to the end walls ofthe mold-box with packing-strips 28, loosely fitted to the platens inany suitable manner and yieldingly projected beyond the ends thereof bysprings 29 or equivalent devices, which provide means for holding thepacking-strips yieldingly in contact with the end walls or doors of themold-box to provide for closing the interstices at this point to preventleakage of the pulp material, while at the same time allowing for thecontraction and expansion of the platens without interfering withtheirproper movement toward and away from each other in the operation of theapparatus. The said platens, which are designed to move toward and awayfrom each other, have fitted upon their opposing faces suitable dies 30.These dies may be held to the platen by holding-clips or any suitablemeans which permit of their ready attachment and removal, and the sameare of any desired configuration or design which is to be impressed uponthe pulp material. In the construction of doors or analogous structureswith a panel or panels the projecting portions of the dies are designedto work into the panel opening or openings of the core and not onlypress the pulp material through said opening or openings in a solidhomogeneous mass, but at the same time impressing upon the pulp materialthe design or ornamental beading with which such articles are usuallyprovided.

The core 1 of the article, which is inserted into the working space 17between the two platens through the access-opening at either end of themold-box, is designed to be sustained in an upright position between andparallel with the platens, preferably by means of the centering-screws31, mounted in the end doors 10 of the mold-box, and preferably providedwith inner pointed ends 32, adapted to engage with the ends of the core,and thereby hold it in proper position to permit the pulp material to bepressed and molded into shape thereon.

In the operation of the apparatus it will be necessary to provide forthe movement of the platens toward and away from each other, and tosecure this movement in a positive manner there are employed pairs ofoperating-screws 33, arranged respectively above and below the platensat the top and bottom of the mold-box, as plainly shown in Figs. 4 and 5of the drawings. The pairs of operating-screws 33 are swiveled' orjournaled at opposite sides of the mold-box in suitable bearings34 andare also provided with separate right and left threaded portions 35,which work in the threaded openings 35*, formed in theextremities of theupright car rier-bars 35 to which the platens are suitably fastened, soas to be carried thereby.

The OPQl'FLllDg-SCI'GWSI33 are extended beyond one side of the mold-boxand are designed to be associated with gearing or any other suitableoperating means to provide for turning the same either backward orforward, according to; the desired movement to be imparted to themovable platens, and at this point it will be observed that by reason ofattaching the platens to the carrier-bars 35", which project above andbelow the same, there is no interference whatever with the action of theplatens upon the material, and the necessity of piercing the platenswith threaded openings for the reception of the screws is obviated. Whenthe screws 33 are turned in one direction, the movable platens 16 willbe caused to approach each other, while the turning of the screws in theopposite direction will cause the platens of each pair to recede fromeach other and away from the article formed therebetween, and it maybeobserved at this point that the platens may be caused to move at anyrate of speed that may be desired, and the operation may be stoppedduring any step of the process and again resumed, as experience and thenature of the material may require. It will further be observed that inthe preferable construction of the apparatus the inner faces of the enddoors and the bottom of the mold-box are planed perfectly true toprevent leakage, the packing-strips 28, already referred to, assistingin securing this desirable result.

In constructing the apparatus it is also desirable to provide. means forallowing the heat, vapor, and waste material to escape from the edges ofthe article during the baking thereof. To make provision for this, thebottom or base 5 of the mold-box is provided in the upper side thereofwith a longitudinal waste channel or gutter 37, extending from end toend of the bottom and declining toward both ends thereof, so that anywaste product or material entering the same may be readily dischargedatthe ends of the moldbox. The said longitudinal channel or gutter 37 isarranged in such a position as to be disposed at the bottom of theworking space 17, and at its upper open side the said channel or gutter37 is preferably covered by a perforate cove r plate 38, formed ofperforated metal, wire-gauze, or equivalent material. In addition toproviding the bottom 5 of the mold-box with the Waste channel or gutter37 the end doors or walls thereof are also provided in their inner faceswith longitudinally-disposed channels or gutters 39, which are coveredby perforate cover plates 40, similar to the perforate cover-plate 38,and which when the doors are closed communicate with the bottom wastechannel or gutter 37, and thereby provide for the complete removal ofsuch waste products or materials as may escape from the edges of thearticle during the baking process.

After having prepared the pulp material the core, which is insertedthrough one of the end access-openings and supported in place by thecentering-screws 31, is completely enveloped with the pulp material, sothat the same will fill any interstices or openings with which it may beprovided. With the core inposition and enveloped by the pulp materialheat may be applied to all of the heatingchambers of the platen at onetime or to such chambers as may be considered desirable; but apreferable way of carrying out the process is to first admit the heatingagent to such heatingchambers of each platen, through thedistributing-pipe connections as are in closest proximity to the densestportions of the pulp material. This will result in warming up thethickest portions of the pulp materials first, causing the vapor andwaste products to work out of the same toward the edges. By thenapplying the heating agent to the adjoining chambers the vapor and wasteproducts will be still more worked out toward the edges of the doors, sothat when the heating agent is finally admitted to the uppermost andlowermost heatingchambers of the platens the baking of the pulp articlewill be thoroughly accomplished. By reason of this operation unevenbaking of the material may be obviated and a practically-uniform resultobtained, which is very desirable in the construction of such articlesas doors and the like. WVhile heat is applied to the platen through themedium of theheating-chambers and pipe connections described, theadhesive compound added to the pulp material is caused to fuse andharden and the vapor passes out through the open top of the box, whilevapor accompanied by other Waste products is also permitted to readilyescape into the waste-channels 37 and 39. During the baking of the pulpmaterial motion is imparted to the movable platens, which are caused toapproach each other gradually until the vapor and waste products havebeen thoroughly eliminated and the resultant mass is completely baked,and consists of the interior core 1 and the homogeneous body 3, entirelysurrounding the same and completely filling any interstices or openingsthereof. At-the time the platen presses the pulp material upon its corethe die-faces or dies 30 thereof will impress upon the surfaces of thepulp material any desired design or ornamentation. lVhen the article hasthus been completed, the movable platens are caused to recede from thesame, so that the article can be readily removed through either enddoor.

In connection with the construction described it will be observed thatthe provision of the Waste-channels greatly shortens the operation ofdrying.

While a. single form of the apparatus has been described, it will beunderstood that the same may be used in series by having a number ofplatens arranged in succession with the operating-screws common to allof the same; but as this is a mere duplication of the apparatusdescribedillustration thereof has been deemed unnecessary.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction,operation,andmany advantages of the herein-described apparatus will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art without further description, andit will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

The process carried out in operating the herein-described apparatusforms no part of the present application, but constitutes thesubjectmatter of my contemporaneouslypending application, Serial No.736,278.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for manufacturing articles from pulp materials, amold-box, a pair of upright movable platens arranged in spaced parallelplanes, and working within the box over and upon the floor thereof, saidplatens carrying dies upon their opposing faces, supporting means,carried by the mold-box, for holding the interior core of the-articlebetween the platens for receiving its envelop of pulp material, andmeans for simultaneously moving both platens in opposite directions.

2. In an apparatus for manufacturing articles from pulp materials, amold-box having a fiat floor, a pair of upright movable platens arrangedin parallel planes and working within the mold-box, upon the flat floorthereof, said platens carrying dies upon their opposing faces, means forapplying heat to the platens, and supporting means, carried by themold-box, for holding the interior core of the article in position forreceiving its envelop of pulp material, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus for manufacturing articles from pulp materials, anopen-top moldboX having a flat floor, a pair of upright movable platensarranged in parallel planes With their lower edges working upon and overthe fiat' floor of the box, said platens having interiorheating-chambers, and dies upon their opposing faces, supporting means,carried by the mold-box, for holding the interior core of the article inposition, for receiving its envelop of pulp material, and means forsimultaneously moving the platens in opposite directions, substantiallyas set forth.

4. In an apparatus for manufacturing articles from pulp materials, amold-box having a flat floor, a pair'of upright movable platens arrangedin spaced parallel relation Within the box and working upon and over thefiat floor thereof, said platens carrying upon their opposing facesdies, core -centering screws mounted within the end walls of the box andprojecting into the space between the platens to temporarily support thecore of the article in position for receiving its envelop of pulpmaterial, and means for simultaneously mov-v ticles from pulp materials,a mold-box provided in the floor thereof with a longitudinalwaste-channel, and in its opposite end walls with vertically disposedwaste channels in communication with the channel in the floor of thebox, and movable platens arranged to work within the box respectively atopposite sides of the vertical plane of the communicating wastechannels.

6. In an apparatus for manufacturing articles from pulp materials, amold-box, having end doors and also provided with screenedwaste-channels in its floor and also in the inner faces of said doors,said waste-channels being in communication with each other, and movableplatens arranged to work within the box respectively at opposite sidesof the vertical plane of the communicating waste-channels, substantiallyas set forth.

7. In an apparatus for manufacturing articles from pulp materials, amold-box providedin the floor thereof with a screened waste-channeldeclining toward both ends of the box and open throughout its length,said mold-box being further provided in the end walls thereof vwithvertically-disposed screened waste-channels, in communication with theopen Waste-channel in the floor of the box, and a pair of platensworking within the box respectively at opposite sides of the verticalplane of the communicating Wastechannels, said platens being provided attheir ends with yielding'packing slidably contacting with said endwalls, substantially as set forth.

8. In an apparatus for manufacturing articles from pulp materials, amold-box having door-inclosed openings at its ends, a pair of platensarranged within the box and carrying dies upon their opposing faces, and

means for moving said platens toward and away from each other,substantially as specified.

9. In an apparatus formanufacturing articles from pulp materials, amold-box having end doors, fasteners for said doors, a pair of platensarranged within the box and carrying dies upon their opposing faces, andmeans for moving said platens toward and away from each other,substantially as specified.

10. In an apparatus for manufacturing articles from pulp materials, amold-box having end access-openings, swinging doors arranged to coverand uncover said openings, rock-shafts fitted to the ends of the box andcarrying a plurality of swing-bolts engaging with the doors, a pair ofplatens arranged within the box and carrying dies, and means for movingthe platens toward and away from each other, substantially as specified.

11. In an apparatus for manufacturing articles from pulp materials, amold-box, a pair of platens arranged within the box, and carryingdies,carrier-bars attached to the platens, and provided in their endswith threaded openings, and suitably-operated screws mounted within themold-box and having rightv and left threaded portions engaging with saidthreaded openings of the carrier-bars, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES MARSHALL LEAVER.

Witnesses:

WM. M. DRAKE, WM. H. FULLER.

